Warframe disables game invites amid sinister warnings of compromised accounts

If you’ve been sent a concerning squad invite message in Warframe telling you that your account has been compromised, don’t panic. Malicious players were able to adjust the default text for invites to display a custom greeting instead, and took it upon themselves to exploit this to frighten the Warframe community at large. In response, Digital Extremes has shut down direct game invites for the time being. It says they’ll remain off until the launch of the Shadowgrapher expansion, but notes that “no accounts have been compromised” and that “it is safe to continue playing.”

Unsolicited messages that suggest one of your accounts has been accessed are a common tool of scammers, who often employ threatening emails suggesting the sender has inside information on you. Fortunately for Warframe players, this incident appears to be less of a scam and more a troublesome trickster, although you’d certainly forgive anyone for immediately logging out of the free Steam game just to be safe after being told, “Your account has been compromised.”

Digital Extremes confirms, “Bad actors were able to interrupt and change squad invite text fields to show up as a customized message.” Along with the compromised account warning, users also report invites telling them to “jump off a cliff (in-game),” or simply stating, “behind you…” Again, these are just custom text fields inserted by the sender, although DE is quick to stress, “Please do not accept these invites!”

“As the investigation is currently ongoing, we wanted to assure you that no accounts have been compromised nor data exposed, and it is safe to continue playing Warframe,” DE explains. “This was strictly a change of text in the invite prompt. If you have concerns about your account, please feel free to make a support ticket on the matter and our team will assist.”

Community director Megan Everett writes that, while Digital Extremes investigates solutions, “direct game invites will remain disabled until the launch of Shadowgrapher on Wednesday March 25. Our sincerest apologies on that front. However, if you wish to play in a squad with your friends, you are able to join squads using your friends list.”

Everett adds that once the invite functionality is restored, Digital Extremes will look into extending the duration of any affected in-game events, such as the global ‘double affinity’ weekend. “We take this matter extremely seriously, and again, apologize for the distress,” she concludes.

It’s a little bit of frustrating disruption, especially if you were taking this last weekend to prepare for the incoming Shadowgrapher expansion. The new update introduces one of the most impressive-looking characters the game has seen so far, ink-based terror Follie. Hopefully, with our minds put at ease over this spate of sinister messages, we can all return to anticipating the in-game horrors Follie will be bringing to the table instead.